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My New Love Affair with Almond Flour

Back when I tried the “low carb” thing a few years ago, I heard a lot about almond flour but I’d never tried it. It’s a little on the expensive side when compared with other options and at that point it was better to distance myself from all things “bread” anyway. But since I’ve been eating clean, I’ve been broadening my horizons and reintroducing healthy carbs. And while it’s still a little more than I usually like to spend, I’ve found a way to stretch it, making it a more feasible staple.

First off, I don’t eat an abundance of baked goods anyway, so my use of flour substitutes is limited by that alone. Second, whatever the recipe calls for I’ve been subbing a mixture of half almond flour, half brown rice flour. It seems to work well and gives whatever you’re making a subtle nutty flavor and texture without changing the consistency too much (almond meal or flour is a little more coarser).

Serving for serving (1/4 cup) here’s how the two stack up (these examples are both Bob’s Red Mill brand):

Brown Rice Flour Almond Flour

Calories: 140 Calories: 140

Fat: 1 g Fat: 14 g

Carbs: 31 g Carbs: 6 g

Fiber: 2 g Fiber: 3 g

Protein: 3 g Protein: 6 g

Cost: approx. $3/pound Cost: approx. $10/pound

Just so you don’t have to do the math, here’s the breakdown for one serving (1/4 cup) of the hybrid:

Calories: 140

Fat: 7.5 g

Carbs: 18.5 g (wow!)

Fiber: 2.5 g

Protein: 4.5 g

Cost: approx. $6.50/pound

I’ve used this combo in clean versions of muffins, pancakes and cookies. I’m still learning all its uses, but so far most of what I’ve attempted has turned out well. Expect to see more recipes in the upcoming posts using this mix!